France: A father fights for his daughter

A testament to its history, France is sprinkled with beautiful villages and towns. To stand out, attract tourists or even new residents, many have turned to a variety of certificates, labels and competitions to boost their visibility. We've followed an inspector for the non-profit ‘Most Beautiful Villages of France’ who looked at the town of Bergheim to see if it’s worthy of obtaining this certification. We also met Christophe Alaux, a marketing professor, to understand the role of these labels.

With a minimum of 30 days of paid leave per year, French people have the reputation of being on vacation all the time. During the summer months of July and August, parts of the country virtually shut down. So, what do they do with these cherished “congés payés”?

The German government Wednesday handed three works of art stolen during the Nazi occupation of France back to descendants of their original owner, the collector and Jewish lawyer Armand Dorville.

Moving up a gear: the return of the Women's Tour de France

Every year approximately 200,000 abortions are done in France. Nearly 40 years after the practice was legalized in that country, the number of abortions is stable: fewer women are having abortions but repeat abortions (the same woman having more than one abortion) are increasing.

In this special edition, we report on the return of the Women’s Tour de France. After more than a 30-year absence, the race kicks off on July 24 from the Eiffel Tower, ending eight days later after a 1000 km ride through northern France. About 22 teams will be participating in the hope of winning the Yellow Jersey. Annette Young meets tour director Marion Rousse, along with other professional and amateur cyclists, including French national champion Audrey Cordot-Reagan. All of them hope that the event will give this women’s sport a much-needed global spotlight.

French President Emmanuel Macron is marking the 80th anniversary of the wartime round-up of Jews in France. Over two days in July 1942, French police rounded up 13,000 people for deportation to Auschwitz.

Thousands have been evacuated from their homes by authorities in France and Spain. More than 1,200 firefighters are deployed in Gironde, a prefecture in Bordeaux, France. Thousands of hectares have burned in Portugal.

When it comes to cultural offerings, the arts never go on holiday! We take a look at hit exhibitions in France this summer that offer everything from an immersive light-fueled experience to interactive inflatables and open-air photography.

We look at reactions to the resignation of a close adviser to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, following comments he made about the “race mixing” of Europeans and non-Europeans. Also, France's women's football team confronts Germany for a spot in the Euro final. Finally, we look at what “Bennifer” got up to during their Paris honeymoon and Damien Hirst's latest project, which will see him burn his own artworks.

The beluga whale that swam up the river that runs through Paris appeared underweight. The protected species is normally found in Arctic waters not near major European capitals.